Best Time to Fish Long Beach

When to fish Long Beach

Each row is shaded against that species' own best month here, so a dark cell means a good month for that fish rather than a comparison between them.

Kelp Bass: January poor, February fair, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July good, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December poor. Barred Sand Bass: January poor, February fair, March excellent, April good, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November poor, December poor. California Halibut: January poor, February fair, March excellent, April peak, May peak, June excellent, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November poor, December poor. White Seabass: January poor, February fair, March peak, April peak, May peak, June peak, July excellent, August fair, September poor, October poor, November poor, December poor. Yellowtail: January none, February poor, March fair, April excellent, May excellent, June peak, July peak, August peak, September excellent, October fair, November poor, December none. California Sheephead: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July good, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Bonito: January none, February none, March poor, April good, May excellent, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October good, November poor, December none. Bonito: January none, February none, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July peak, August peak, September peak, October excellent, November poor, December none. Calico Bass: January fair, February fair, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November poor, December poor. California Barracuda: January none, February none, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October poor, November none, December none. Halibut: January none, February poor, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October poor, November none, December none. Leopard Shark: January poor, February poor, March good, April good, May good, June excellent, July peak, August peak, September good, October fair, November poor, December poor. Lingcod: January good, February excellent, March excellent, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September good, October good, November fair, December fair. sardine: January poor, February fair, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September fair, October fair, November poor, December poor. Surfperch: January excellent, February excellent, March good, April fair, May fair, June fair, July poor, August fair, September fair, October good, November good, December excellent.

• Kelp Bass. Kelp bass are resident year-round on Long Beach reefs, breakwater, and kelp structure, so the curve never hits zero. Abundance peaks in late spring through summer (May–July) when spawning aggregations form over warm 65–70°F water, then tapers gradually through fall and winter as fish disperse and metabolism slows, with a small secondary bump in early fall from post-spawn feeding.
• Barred Sand Bass. Barred sand bass are resident year-round in Long Beach waters but aggregate into dense summer spawning schools over sand flats (June–August), peaking late June through mid-July when warm water and spawning drive the famous 'sand bass grounds' bite. Outside the spawn they disperse and hunker in deeper, cooler structure through winter, so abundance in the surveyed shallow zones drops but never reaches zero.
• California Halibut. California halibut are resident year-round in Long Beach waters but concentrate on shallow flats and bay mouths during the spring spawning migration (Apr–Jun), producing the strongest peak. A secondary late-summer/early-fall bump reflects warm water and post-spawn feeding, while winter shows lower abundance as many fish move deeper offshore.
• White Seabass. White seabass peak in Long Beach waters during the spring spawning aggregation (March–June) when squid spawns concentrate fish over local reefs and around Catalina, with the strongest abundance late March through May. A secondary bump in late summer/early fall follows warm-water squid activity, while winter sees the lowest densities as fish disperse and move deeper offshore.
• Yellowtail. Southern California yellowtail are present year-round but abundance surges as water warms; a spring push (Apr–May) builds off the coronado/local banks, then peaks in summer (July–Sept) when warm water and squid/sardine bait cycles concentrate fish around Catalina and local structure. A secondary bump in late spring reflects the seasonal migration up from Baja, while winter numbers stay low but non-zero as some resident fish hold on deeper structure.
• California Sheephead. California Sheephead are resident reef fish around Long Beach rocky structure and jetties year-round, so abundance never hits zero. A modest spring bump aligns with warming water and pre-spawn aggregation, while the strongest peak comes late summer through early fall (Aug–Oct) when warm water pushes fish shallow and active, before slightly thinning in cold winter months as they hold deeper.
• Bonito. Pacific bonito are warm-water migrants into Long Beach waters; they build through spring as water warms, peaking mid-summer through early fall (June–October) with the strongest schools around the harbor and warm-water outfalls. A modest winter residual population lingers in the warm-water discharge areas, so abundance stays low but rarely fully zero.
• Bonito. Pacific bonito are warm-water schooling migrants that surge into Long Beach waters as inshore temps climb, with a spring push (April–June) tied to spawning and bait, and a stronger late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Oct) when warm water and anchovy/sardine schools concentrate them. Winter abundance drops sharply but rarely to zero, as small pockets of fish linger in the harbor and warm-water discharge areas year-round.
• Calico Bass. Calico bass are resident year-round in Long Beach kelp/structure but slow way down in cold winter water (Jan–Mar), then ramp hard as water warms; the peak is the late-spring/early-summer spawn aggregation (May–July) when fish stack up on structure, with a secondary bump in fall before water cools. Abundance never hits zero since they don't migrate away.
• California Barracuda. California barracuda are warm-water migrants that push into Long Beach waters as inshore temps climb, with a spring spawning arrival (April–June) and a strong late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep) when warmest water and bait schools concentrate fish. Winter abundance drops sharply but rarely to zero, as a residual population of larger fish lingers offshore during cool months.
• Halibut. True Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) are near the extreme southern edge of their range at Long Beach and are only rare stragglers; the modest late-winter/early-spring bump reflects the occasional cold-water visitor, while the species is essentially never abundant here (the common local flatfish is California halibut, not Pacific). Presence stays low year-round because these are genuinely marginal waters for the species.
• Leopard Shark. Leopard sharks are resident to the Southern California bight year-round but concentrate in warm, shallow bays and flats like Alamitos Bay and the Long Beach breakwater during spring-to-summer when females aggregate over warm mud flats (peaking late March–May). A secondary late-summer/early-fall bump reflects juveniles and post-pupping fish feeding on innkeeper worms and clams in warming shallows before dispersing to deeper water as temperatures drop in winter.
• Lingcod. Lingcod are resident on Southern California reefs year-round, but abundance and catchability peak during the winter-into-spring spawning aggregation (Dec–April) when males guard nests on shallow structure. A secondary late-summer/fall bump (Sep–Oct) reflects post-spawn recovery and cooler upwelling, while mid-summer warm surface water pushes fish deeper and thins nearshore presence.
• sardine. Pacific sardine are present year-round off Long Beach as a resident-plus-migratory schooling forage fish, so abundance never zeroes out. Peak abundance runs late spring through early fall (roughly June–September) when warm-water spawning aggregations and northward-migrating schools concentrate in the Southern California Bight, with a secondary early-fall bump before winter dispersal offshore and to the south.
• Surfperch. Barred surfperch are present year-round in Long Beach surf zones, but peak abundance runs late winter through spring (Jan–Apr) when they school densely in the shallows to spawn (they're viviparous, congregating to release live young). A modest lull occurs in mid-summer as fish disperse into slightly deeper, cooler water, with numbers rebuilding through fall and into the winter spawning aggregation.

Common questions about Long Beach